The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming
The Trinity Six is Charles Cumming‘s fifth venture into the world of spy thrillers. It follows Sam Gaddis, a writer and lecturer on Russian History at the University London College. At the underwhelming launch of his latest book on Peter the Great and Sergei Platov, a beautiful woman called Holley approaches Gaddis, requesting his help.
At first, her request seems simple. Her late mother had left her with numerous papers on both English and Russian history. Gaddis agrees to take a look at them to see if they contain anything of historical value. A meeting with his best friend Charlotte uncovers that she had recommended him to Holley, as she was too busy with a huge scoop of a story.
When Charlotte passes away of a reported heart attack, Gaddis decides to complete her work. Soon he discovers that Charlotte had stumbled onto a much larger story than she realised. Her death may not have been as innocent as it seemed. Soon his professional and personal lives become entangled in a secret that both the KGB and MI6 have been covering up since 1988.
Review
I have not read many spy novels in my time, I’m not sure why, it’s just a genre I’ve not really dabbled in. However; this book will certainly be changing that. A couple of chapters into this book and I was utterly gripped. The writing is beautifully smart without being too complicated. I have read a couple of similarly styled book which introduces so many characters I lost track. The actions of every character are completely believable. The story is brilliantly crafted from beginning to end and the inclusion of true historical events and British locations (especially bookshops) made me enjoy it even more.
This is a must-read for anyone interested in the thriller genre. Also, if you are looking for a gift for a ‘hard to buy for’ man in your life, I highly recommend The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming. Although, please don’t think this is a ‘just for men’ book as that is not the case. I just feel they are harder to buy books for sometimes. A gripping, intelligent read you will struggle to put down.
Thanks to The Trinity Six I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of Charles Cumming’s work in the future.
If you liked The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming you’ll love The 3rd Woman by Jonathan Freedland.